Case and movement frame for watches and the like



E. L. CARLSON CASE AND MOVEMENT FRAME FOR WATCHES AND THE LIKE July 9, 1940.

Filed Feb. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Il-lb' 9; 1940- E. L. cRLsoN 2,207,532

CASE AND MOVEMENT FRAME FOR WATCHES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 9, 194() UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASE AND MOVEDIENT FRAME FOR WATCHES AND THE LIKE Application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 257,916

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in case and movement-frame constructions for Watches and instruments of similar character having running parts mounted in rigidly-spaced front and back movement-plates within a closed casing.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved case and movement-frame construction by means of which the thickness of a watch or other instrument of similar character may be reduced Without changing the essential character or arrangement of the running parts therein.

One object of the invention is to provide an limproved construction and arrangement of parts in a watchcase and the movement frame encased therein by means of which a watch-movement or the like without reconstruction or rearrangement of its running parts, may be encased in a watchcase of less axial depth than that heretofore considered necessary for the purpose.

Ancillary to the foregoing objects, the present invention has for its objectives: an improved construction for either or both of the movementplates which support the running parts of the watch-movement; and a more compact arrangement of the Watch-movement within the watchcase and thereby rendering it possible to reduce the axial depth of the latter.

Another object oi the invention is to provide an improved construction for either or both of the said movement-plates by means of which the peripheral flange or radially-projecting lugs or the like, by means of which the front and back movement-plates are rigidly connected to interposed pillars, may be arranged in closer axial relationship than the central portions of said movement-plates between which most of the running parts of the Watch-movement are arranged.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved movement-frame construction which will enable a watch-movement of inexpensive type to be mounted in a watch case of smaller size than heretofore required for the purpose Without the necessity of making any changes in design of the watch-movement itself.

Still another object of the invention to which the foregoing object is ancillary, is to enhance the appearance and eye appeal of a Watch of inexpensive type; to adapt it to occupy less space; and to facilitate its deposit in and removal from a pocket or other receptacle.

With the above and other objects in View, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one mode of carrying out the present invention is -5 shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l is a front elevational View of a watch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edgewise view of the same as seen from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged axial sectional View of the same taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation of the watchmovement removed from its case;

Fig. 5 is an edgevvise View of the movementframe as it would appear from the top of Fig. 4, with the running parts of the Watch-movement removed;

Fig. 6 is a rear View in perspective of the back movement-plate detached; 0

'l is an edgewise view similar to Fig. 5 of a modied form of the movement-frame; and

Fig. 3 is a rear View in perspective on a ree duced scale of the back movement-plate shown in Fig. 7.

For the purpose of encasing a watch-movement of established form, without reconstruc tion or rearrangement of its operating parts, within a watchcase of smaller axial depth than that usually considered essential for the purpose, the present invention contemplates the use of a center-band of smaller axial depth than has heretofore been considered necessary. In this way, the back-plate of the watchcase and the bezel therefor, with its included crystal, are brought into closer axial relationship than has heretofore been done in certain types of watchcases. For this purpose, according to the present invention, the axial depth of those portions of the front and back movement-plates of the movement frame extending around and Within Ythe center-band, are displaced axially with respect to each other into closer relationship than that existing between the central portions of the front and back movement-plates, between which most of the running parts of a watch-movement or the like are usually accommodated. For this purpose, again, the axial length of the pillars interposed between the iront and back movementplates is materially shortened without reducing the axial depth of the space intervening between the central portions of the movement-plates.

The particular movement frame and watchcase chosen for the illustration of the present invention in Figs. l to 6 inclusive, includes a movement frame generally designated by the reference character I0 and a watchcase, comprising: a center-band generally designated by the reference character II; a back-plate I2 of the watchcase; a bezel I3; and a crystal I4. As shown particularly well in Figs. 5 and 6, the movement frame IG comprises a front movement-plate I5, a back movement-plate generally designated by the reference character I5, and pillars I'I which are riveted at their forward ends I8 to the frontplate I5 and rigidly connected at their rear ends to the back movement-plate I6 by means of screws I9. The said pillars I'I, of which there are preferably four arranged in spaced-apart relation about the periphery of the movement frame I8, are provided with movement-retaining shoulders 26 by means of which the watch-movement is retained in position Within the watchcase in the usual manner.

The back movement-plate I6 comprises a central body-portion 2I and avperipheral connectionange 22 which is provided with holes 23 through which the screws I9 are threaded into the adjacent ends of the spacing-pillars I'I. As shown in the drawings, the connection-flange 22 is offset axially with respect to the central body-portion 2l of the back movement-plate I6 and inasmuch as the central body-portion 2I of the said back movement-plate is spaced from the central portion of the front movement-plate I5 at an axial distance substantially equal to that at which the front and back movement-plates are usually spaced for watch-movements of the' character illustrated, the axial space intervening between the connecting-flange 22 and the front movement-plate I5 is less than that which usually intervenes between the front and back movementplates in watch-movements of this character.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, when the watchmovement is placed within the center-band I I of the watchcase, the front movement-plate I5 is arranged with its outer peripheral edge in lateral abutment with segmental anges 2li. Preferably, the segmental flanges 24 correspond in number to the number of spacing-pillars I'I, of which, as described and shown, there are four, and the said segmental-flanges are arranged with respect to the center-band II in spaced-apart relation substantially similar to the spaced-apart relation of the pillars Il with respect to the ,movement frame I0. The segmental flanges 24 project radially inward from a circular snap-flange 25 to which the bezel I3 of the watchcase is attached in the usual manner and they also project axially in a rearward direction from the front snap flange. In placing the watch-movement I0 within the center-'band II, as mentioned, the former may, for example, be positioned with the shoulders 2D of the four pillars I7 each disposed to pass one of the segmental flanges 24 and, thereafter,

I the watch-movement IEB may be turned within the center-band II to bring the shoulders 28 of the said spacing-pillars I 1 beneath thesegmental lianges 24. When thus positioned, the segmental anges 2d are interlocked between the front movement-plate I5 and the movement-retaining shoulders 20 on the pillars I'I. In consequence, the oiiset connection-flange 22 of the back movement-plate I5 is disposed within and adjacent to the inner periphery of a snap-ring or iiange 2B at the rear edge of the center-band I I, while the central body-.portion 2l of the said movementplate is arranged to protrude axially beyond the rear edge of the said center-band II and into closer proximity vto the -back-plate I2 ofthe watchcase than it does in present well-known constructions in which the back movement-plate has its connection-flange and central body-portion arranged in a common plane.

It will be understood from the foregoing that by axially displacing the peripheral connectionflange 22 towards the front movement-plate I5, toy which it is vrigidly attached by means of interposed pillars II of shorter length than those usually employed, it becomes possible to construct the center-band I I of less axial depth than heretofore and thus to arrange the bezel I3 and backplate l2 of the watchcase in closer axial relation to each other than has heretofore been possible in watchcase and movement-frame constructions or" the character illustrated without reducing the space intervening between the front and back movement-plates. In this way, the thickness of a watch may be materially reduced without the necessity for a reconstruction and rearrangement of the running parts of the watch-movement. The back-plate l2 of the watchcase is provided with a peripheral snap-groove 2l by means of which it is attached to the outer periphery of the snap-ring 26.

For the purpose of more clearly illustrating the essential features of the present invention, all of the running parts of the watch-movement are not illustrated on the drawings. 'Ihe watchmovement is represented by the following parts.

A spring-barrel 28 carries a main-Wheel 29 mounted on the main arbor 35. Meshing with the main-wheel 29 is a first pinion 3I carried by a center-arbor 32. A second or minute-wheel 33 moving with the rst pinion 3l, is in mesh with a second pinion 3d on its arbor 35. A third wheel 35 cn arbor 35 meshes with and drives a third pinion 3l. Interposed between the first pinion 3i and a shoulder on the center-arbor 32 is a center-friction 39, the said center-arbor having secured thereto a cannon-pinion 38. Concentricallyarranged with the center-arbor 32 on the inner side of a dial-plate l0 is an hourwheel 5I to which is connected an hour-hand 42. Mounted on the front end of center-arbor 32 is a minute-hand 53. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2^, the center-band II of the watchcase carries a pendant-head lll to which is connected a pendantring 45.

According to the embodied form of the movement frame shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the said movement frame comprises a front movementplate d5, a back movement-plate generally designated by the reference character 4T, and pillars i8 interposed between the said movement-plates. Arranged around the outer periphery of the back movement-plate il? are a plurality of connection-lugs or portions 5S which may be integrally formed therewith or connected thereto in any suitable manner, such, for example, as' by brazing. The connection-lugs 49 are provided with holes 55 'through which screws 5I may be threaded into the adjacent ends of the pillars 48, the other ends o1" said pillars 48 being-riveted at 52 in rigid engagement with the front movement-plate d5. The pillars 8 are provided with movement-retaining shoulders 53 suitably arranged adjacent the front movement-plate 46 to provide an interlocking connection between the movement frame and the segmental flangesV 24 arranged around the front edge of the centerband I I. k It will be understood that the arrangement of connection-lugs 1&9 to project radially from thelperiphery of the back Ymovement-plate il? at the inner surface thereof, .serves to reduce 7,5

the axial depth of the space intervening between the connection-portions of the front and back movement-plates #it and 4l in a manner substantially similar to that described above by means of the oiset connection-flange 22 with respect to the central body-portion 2! of the back movement-plate I6 and in relation to the front movement-plate I 5. According to Figs. 'l and 8, pillars i8 of foreshortened length are interposed between the connection-lugs 49 and the front movement-plate fili to provide a movement frame which is reduced in axial depth around its periphery. As thus constructed, the movement frame, with its included movement, may be mounted in a center-band of foreshortened axial depth, to eiect an arrangement of the bezel and back-plateof the watchcase in closer axial relation to each other than has heretofore been considered feasible in certain types of Watches without costly changes being made in the design and arrangement of parts in the watch-movement.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In a watch, the combination with a centerband provided with front and rear snap-flanges; a front movement-plate smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the said front snap-frange and encircled thereby substantially in a common plane therewith; a rear movement-plate smaller in outside diameter than the inner diameter of the rear snap-nange and having a connectionange disposed substantially in a common plane with and encircled by the rear snap-ange, the central body-portion of the rear movement-plate being rearwardly offset from the said connectionflange to provide a watch-movement-accommodating space substantially equivalent to that provided between front and rear movement-plates without axially-offset portions, and similarlyarranged with respect to a center-band having front and rear snap-anges; spacing-pillars rigidly interposed between the said front movement-plate and the said connection-flange of the rear movement-plate; and means for releasably connecting the said front movement-plate to the said front snap-flange.

2. In a watch, the combination with a centerband provided with front and rear snap-flanges; peripherally-spaced segmental-flanges presented inwardly from the inner periphery of the front snap-harige; a front movement-plate having an outside diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the front snap-flange and in axial abutment with the said spaced segmental-flanges; a rear movement-plate having an outside diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the rear snapange, the said rear movement-plate comprising a central body-portion disposed at an axial distance from the front movement-plate greater than the axial spacing of the said snap-flanges and a connection-ange oiset forwardly therefrom and disposed substantially in a common transverse plane with the rear snap-ilange; and spacing-pillars rigidly interposed between the front and rear movement-plates and in interlocking engagement with the said segmentalflanges.

3. 1n a watch, the combination with a centerband provided with front and rear snap-flanges; peripherally-spaced segmental flanges presented inwardly from the inner periphery of the front snap-flange and axially offset therefrom in a rearward direction; a front movement-plate smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the front snap-flange and disposed substantially in a common plane therewith and in axial abutment with the said segmental flanges within the said inner periphery of the front snap-iiange; a rear movement-plate smaller in outside diameter than the inner diameter of the front snap-liange and having a connection-flange disposed substantially in a common plane with the rear snapflange, and a central body-portion disposed at an axial distance from the front movement-plate greater than the axial spacing of the said snapiianges; and spacing-pillars rigidly interposed between the front movement-plate and the connection-liange of the rear movement-plate to retain the said movement-plates in assembled relation to each other and having an interlocking engagement with the said segmental anges at the iront snap-flange,

ELOF L. CARLSON. 

